Devices incorporating the principles of the present invention may be used in many environments, but the most widespread use of such clamps would be in the construction of scaffolding structures. In applying a scaffold flooring to the scaffold supporting structure, the general practice has been to simply place planking on the scaffold cross-members at the required level. During use, however, the planks can creep and shift as a result of work or activity and in some cases may move to such an extent that a hazard to worker safety is created. In an extreme case, these loosely placed planks may even fall or be kicked from the scaffold supporting structure. Efforts have been made to solve this problem by toe-nailing adjacent planks together, but this solution has not proven to be entirely successful.
There is therefore an urgent need for an effective clamping device by which the scaffold flooring can be easily and effectively secured to the cross members of the scaffold supporting structure and yet which may be quickly and easily detached for disassembly and reuse.
One known method of attaching planks is disclosed in Kensrue U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,552. The Kensrue device is a rather elaborate combination of clamping bars, engaging hooks and hand operated nut and screw members. The clamp disclosed by Kensrue solves the problem of loose planking by providing separate clamping devices for the ends of each plank. This clamping is achieved by placing a clamping bar on the underside of each plank such that this clamping bar engages the scaffold cross-member and the under surface of the planking. A hand-turned nut means is provided such that plank engaging hook members are forced to clampingly coact with the clamping bar and securely anchor the plank to the cross member. Utilizing the device as disclosed in Kensrue would require the worker to apply each clamp from the plank underside one plank at a time.
The problem with the known plank securing method is that the clamps must be placed and fastened as the scaffold flooring is being placed. This leaves the worker assembling the scaffolding with no platform on which to work while attaching the planks to the structure. The present invention solves this problem by providing a plank securing clamp that can be placed and attached after the scaffold supporting structure has been built and all the scaffold flooring planks have been laid in place. The present invention achieves this solution by providing a separate clamping device for insertion between every two adjoining planks each clamp including both a portion being adapted to receive and hold a scaffold support cross member, and a portion being adapted to be bent over each of the adjoining scaffolding planks and affixed thereto.